Crime Victims

Victims of drunk drivers qualify for Crime Victim Compensation financial assistance through the State of Washington if they suffered an injury or severe emotional distress resulting from a “vehicular crime.” The Crime Victims...more

New York’s proposed legislation contains extensive provisions dealing with victims’ rights. Specifically, Section 6442 of the legislation requires adoption of a Victim and Survivor Bill of Rights that provides for the right...more

On February 6, 2015, the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit decided an appeal, United States v. Cuti, which interpreted the restitution provisions of the Victims and Witnesses Protection Act (VWPA). The...more

In J.P. v. Carlsbad Unified School District, the California Court of Appeal for the Fourth District found that CUSD could not assert that government claims were untimely when CUSD prevented the parents of molestation victims...more

Late last week, a Special Report on Rape and Sexual Assault Victimization Among College-Age Females (“Report”), for the period 1995-2013, was issued. The results are based on information taken from the U.S. Department of...more

Recent Cases Signal That Victims of Terrorist Attacks May Be Able to Collect Damages from Financial Institutions. A pair of decisions from the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit and United States District...more

On August 8, 2014, Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick signed into law a far-reaching Act designed to combat the problems of domestic violence. Notably, the Act became effective immediately upon the Governor signing it into...more

What you need to know:
Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick recently signed a law, effective immediately, that requires employers with 50 or more employees to grant up to 15 days of leave from work if an employee or a...more

Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick signed into law An Act Relative to Domestic Violence on August 8, 2014.This far-reaching law, which institutes reforms throughout the criminal justice system, mandates that all public and...more

On August 8, 2014, Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick signed sweeping new legislation in the area of domestic violence—M.G.L. c. 260 entitled “An Act relative to domestic violence.” The new law is effective immediately and...more

On August 8, 2014, Governor Deval Patrick signed into law a bill relating to domestic violence. Among other provisions, the law creates a new category of job-protected leave for employees. Massachusetts employers with 50 or...more

If you or someone you know has been the victim of a crime, or if you have been called to testify before a federal grand jury or trial, you may have questions about what you can expect as a case works its way through the...more

On May 20, 2014, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Stop Advertising Victims of Exploitation Act of 2014 (“SAVE Act”). If enacted, the bill would expose websites and other media to federal criminal penalties for...more

In a decision that will surely have implications for criminal defendants and victims of crimes, on April 18, 2014, the Eleventh Circuit ordered federal authorities to disclose correspondence that took place between Palm Beach...more

In a decision that will surely have implications for criminal defendants and victims’ of crimes, on Friday, April 18, 2014, the Eleventh Circuit ordered federal authorities to disclose correspondence that took place between...more

A New York Appellate Court held for the first time that a judgment issued by a foreign country’s criminal court awarding monetary compensation to a fraud victim is civil, not penal in nature, and therefore enforceable in New...more

Since 2008, the District of Columbia's Accrued Sick and Safe Leave Act ("ASSLA") has required D.C. employers to provide employees with paid leave (i) to care for themselves or their family members, and (ii) for work absences...more

Every new year brings employment law changes for California’s employers and, while the Affordable Care Act has taken the spotlight for 2014, a vast array of employment laws deserve special attention from California employers...more

With the start of the new year, it is the perfect time for employers to ensure that their policies reflect the changes in California law. We covered many of the laws affecting employers in our “California Legislative Update...more

Like death and taxes, new employment laws are inevitable with each new year. In 2014, public employees are facing a bevy of new laws, including those that address leave, discrimination and retirement benefits and those that...more

It has become an annual New Year’s tradition in California -- employers getting up to speed on a host of new employment laws that will affect them in the coming year. The California Legislature was busy in 2013 imposing new...more

California’s 2012-2013 Legislative Session concluded with the enactment of a variety of new laws that will affect California employers. In light of these developments, summarized below, California employers should review...more

Existing laws prohibit an employer from discharging, discriminating, or retaliating against an employee who is a victim of domestic violence or sexual assault for taking time off from work in connection with court proceedings...more

The California Legislature was unusually active this year. Significantly, California increased the state minimum wage, created new “unfair immigration-related practices,” and expanded protections for whistleblowers. All laws...more